Thailand

Thailand has something for every kind of tourist. I have brought together a small selection of different places to visit on the eastern side of Thailand, not too far from Bangkok.
Lets start off with the buzzing seaside resort of Pattaya. Pattaya has something for every type of traveller whatever their budgets. A great place to have fun, bars, clubs and a feast of restaurants make it popular. Pattaya lacks any real charm and is a little dirty, but you can't have everything. The beaches are very poor when compared to the rest of Thailand, but the local government is working hard on upgrading everything. I recommend Pattaya for a few days holiday before going off to somewhere like Phuket for a real beach holiday. Pattaya Hotels offer good value and also the range and price of food is very good. Pattaya is situated along a bay on the East Coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 2 hours from Bangkok. Pattaya has grown from a small fishing village in the early 1960's, to one of Asia's favorite vacation cities. A fascinating place where tourists, holiday makers and vacationers from around the world can unwind and relax.
Unlike other beach resorts, where natural surroundings are used as magnets to attract tourists, Pattaya makes an all-out attempt to provide the best of everything (it does it very well).
Here, everything means everything a tourist can imagine while on holiday: recreation, entertainment, sports, sightseeing and fun. In simple terms Pattaya is a paradise for everyone, as it has a variety of attractions suitable for all types of visitors. It is easy to fill you day, from dusk to dawn, with endless activities, or you may choose to do nothing at all and relax.
Pattaya currently combines the delights of a 1st class beach resort, city-like dining, shopping and night entertainment facilities with more than 300 assorted pattaya hotels, thousands of shops, restaurants and bars. In addition, there are an range of sports and recreational activities including beaches, golf courses, tennis courts, go-karts, gyms for working out, weight lifting and Thai-boxing gear. Pattaya offers a broad range of things to do. During the day, you are able to go riding elephants or driving low power automatic mini-bikes, to monstrous motorcycles, or even monster multicolored convertible Jeeps. You might like to go shooting firearms, scuba diving and surfing, deep-sea fishing, speed boating, water-skiing, parasailing, or aerial sports such as gliding ultra-lights and flying motor-propelled gliders, its all available in Pattaya. On the other hand, at night, there are restaurants, bars, theaters, cabaret shows, night clubs, bowling halls, billiard & snooker clubs, exotic erotic shows, discos, sauna & massage parlors, not to forget its incredible shopping which is available non-stop both day-and-night. One note Pattaya's beaches are not that nice, so if are a beach person, try visiting some of the off shore islands or even try combining a pattaya holiday with another resort.

Fancy something a little bit more tropical and back to nature? Have a look at the island of Koh Samet. It's a small beautiful idyllic island (often refered to as crystal island) with superb beaches and a relaxed chilled out atmosphere. Around 200km from Bangkok make Koh Samet Island both easy and affordable to get to. Taking about 3-4 hours total travelling time from Bangkok, or 2 hours from Pattaya. Another plus point for going to Koh Samet is the cost of getting there. Buses from Ekamai bus terminal cost about 135 baht and the boat fare starts around 50 baht.
The Thai word Koh means island, and Samet is tree that grows in large quantities all over the island, and famed for its bark which is used both in traditional medicine and for boat building.
Its beautiful beaches especially in the north-east of the island have been described as having the "whitest finest sand" in Thailand. In 1981 Koh Samet was given national park status when it joined the Khao Laem Ya National Park. It has great natural beauty, secluded beaches and a lush rich interior. It is also the home to spectacular wildlife such as monkeys, hornbills, gibbons and exotic butterflies.
In the early 1970's Koh Samet was 'discovered' by Thai teenagers and young couples looking for a weekend place to go not too far from the Bangkok. Recently its popularity has increased with overseas tourists joining the locals in search of a tropical paradise. There are many really nice resorts and cozy bungalows on most of Koh Samet's beaches and you can easily book them from this website. Electricity is now available 24 hours a day, and resorts offer TV and air-conditioning. Camping is still popular on the more secluded beaches, but bring your own tents!
The eastern side of Koh Samet consists of wide open bays with pure white sand. The biggest and most popular is Hat Sai Kaew - known to westerners as Diamond Beach, is the closest to the mainland. The mile long sweep of bay has wide sand backed by palm trees, and on the promotory is a temple with a large Buddha statue. This beach is popular with day trippers, and with those staying for several nights. It is next to the small fishing village and several shops and restuarants. But it's sand is perfect, with a consistency like fine talculm powder and squeaks underfoot. The water is shallow and warm, and almost crystal clear.
As you walk south along the narrow path linking the bays, you will come to bay after bay, all slightly different and perfect in their own way. The sand is dappled with fallen leaves and at the water line you sometimes find strange fish. You are able to sit for hours on these beaches, listening to the breeze in the trees, the soft murmur of the waves, and watch fish jumping. Koh Samet is a place where you can really unwind and relax.

Similar to Koh Samet but a lot bigger is Koh Chang Island. It is the main focal point of an island chain located in a national marine park. Ko Chang is the second largest island in Thailand after Phuket, measuring some 30km long by about 8km wide. But unlike Phuket or Koh Samui it hasn't been over developed. Although a very large Island it has quite a small population. But that's what makes it nice.
The west coast has the most beautiful beaches and is the more developed of Ko Chang's beach areas. The beaches on Koh Chang are large and don't get too busy. The number one beach is Hat Sai Khao (white sand beach) I can confirm it is nice, as I have been there.

As for the other beaches there is Hat Kai Bae, very similar to Hat Sai Khao. If you are a backpacker try Hat Tha Nam often called lonely beach, this is popular because it has a good range of inexpensive hotels and beach huts. It is also the main partybeach on the island. If you are seeking something a bit more laid back try Ao Bai Lan or even the larger beach of Hat Khlong Phrao.
The main resort areas of Koh Chang have internet, atm's, small banks actually everything you really need for a good holiday. From my experience try to book a hotel that is close or even in the main resort / beach areas. Koh chang is a big place and there is really nothing between these key areas. During holidays the resorts get filled up quickly, so book well in advance and check our Thailand national holiday section for local ones.
Koh Chang really started to develop into a true mainstream holiday destination in early 2001, and a massive amount of money has poured into it since then. It is a mountainous island so good roads have been built, and quite a few high quality resorts have popped up around the island.
The great beaches, impressive waterfalls & stunning scenery together with a choice of accommodation & entertainment that ranges from basic to luxury ensure that there will be something of interest to visitors on all budgets. Activities include diving, water sports & snorkeling, hill trekking, elephant jungle trekking & exploring the islands by kayak, cycle, car & motorbike (take care).
There are interesting local villages to visit & boat trips are available to explore or stay at other islands in the group. Whatever your choice of destination we hope that this guide gives you all the information that you need & wish you an enjoyable visit.